(From a Facebook post)
Slate Auto is shaking up the electric vehicle market with its radical new offering: the Slate Truck, a $20,000 American-made EV that strips away modern car luxuries to focus on affordability and simplicity.
Slated for release in 2026, the minimalist two-seater features no paint, no stereo, and no touchscreen, with body panels made of durable, unpainted plastic.
Embracing a "digital detox" ethos, it invites owners to customize their trucks with DIY vinyl wraps and add-on kits, while skipping the costly complexities that usually plague auto manufacturing. By eliminating major production hurdles like paint shops and offering one model, one color, and one trim, Slate aims for financial sustainability few EV startups have achieved.
Despite its bare-bones approach, the Slate Truck isn't skimping on safety or potential upgrades. It targets a 5-Star crash rating and offers bolt-on expansion kits, extended battery packs, and user-friendly maintenance backed by "Slate University." Investors, including reportedly Jeff Bezos, have shown interest in Slate's radically simplified model, which challenges a bloated auto industry increasingly reliant on tech-heavy, high-cost vehicles. The big question now: Are consumers ready to embrace a back-to-basics, fully customizable EV as a new standard in personal transportation?
